{"id":3849,"date":"2018-06-30T11:15:43","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T11:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=3849"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:51:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:51:48","slug":"why-was-gerhard-domagk-awarded-the-1939-nobel-prize-for-medicine","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/medicine-through-time\/medicine-through-time-teachers-resources\/why-was-gerhard-domagk-awarded-the-1939-nobel-prize-for-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Why was Gerhard Domagk awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize for Medicine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why was Gerhard Domagk awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in
\n1939?<\/h2>\n

Learning Outcomes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

* To understand why the development of chemical antibiotics was a turning
\npoint in the treatment of disease.
\n* To identify and evaluate the relative significance of different factors
\nin contributing to the discovery eg role of the individual, communication
\nwithin the scientific community, scientific technology.<\/p>\n

Video Starter: Doctor Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940)<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

Watch this extract from the film Doctor Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet. Make
\na note of the different factors that enabled Ehrlich to succeed. If you
\nwant to check, or add further detail, use these links: This
\nday in Tech History<\/a>, Magic
\nBullets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Main Activity<\/p>\n

Adapted from my
\nworksheet on Infectious Disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Activities<\/p>\n

On a printout of this page, or copy of the worksheet: Highlight the KEY
\nWORDS. For example, names of Scientists, things that inspired them or
\nways in which they made their discovery, names of the drugs they created
\nor of the microbe that was discovered. Also highlight anything that the
\ndevelopment may have led to. For revision purposes it may be WISE to colour
\ncode your highlighting. For example: Names in Red, Developments in green,
\nDrugs in Yellow etc.<\/p>\n

Information:<\/p>\n

The period 1870-1950 saw a rapid development in the amount of knowledge
\nof microbes, germs and the way in which these caused disease. By the late
\n1870\u2019s medical practitioners had accepted the work of Lister and
\nhad realised that not only was his formula to combat germs required: but
\nalso a method of killing Germs inside the body was required to improve
\nmortality rates.<\/p>\n

As the recognition of this need was made doctors and scientists were
\nmore willing to search for the cure. A young German doctor named Paul
\nEhrlich joined the team of Koch. Ehrlich, working with Emi Behring, developed
\nan interest in the antibodies that the human body produces. His studies
\nof these led him to believe that a chemical substance could be produced
\nto work alongside these antibodies, killing specific bacteria without
\nharming the rest of the body.<\/p>\n

This line of research led to Ehrlich opening his own research institute,
\nto search for \u2018The Magic Bullet\u2019. His results were a limited
\nsuccess: he found dyes that attacked malaria and some sleeping sickness
\nbugs. In 1906 the detection by Hoffman of the microbes that caused syphilis
\nopened up a new line of research. Ehrlich\u2019s team tested over 600
\nchemical compounds, searching for one that would target and destroy the
\nsyphilis germ. In 1909, a new scientist joined his team. He was asked
\nto retest all of the discarded chemicals that had previously been shown
\nto fail. The 606th compound selected and destroyed the germ. Ehrlich rigorously
\ntested the vaccine and in 1911 Savarsan 606 was used for the first time
\non Humans.<\/p>\n

Gerhard Domagk: Sulphonamide drugs<\/h3>\n

Domagk was a chemist who was inspired by the achievements of Paul Ehrlich\u2019s
\nteam. He set out to find dyes that would destroy other infectious microbes
\nwithin the body. Domagk was very thorough in his work and in 1932 discovered
\nthat a dye called prontosil would act against he streptococcus virus.
\nThis discovery was then developed by French scientists who found that
\nthe drug could also be used against tonsillitis, puerperal fever and scarlet
\nfever. May and baker, British scientists, discovered that a derivative
\nof the sulphonamide drug could be used against pneumonia.<\/p>\n

There were though several disadvantages to this drug. Sulphonamide drugs
\ncan damage the kidney, liver and are ineffective against highly virulent
\nmicrobes.<\/p>\n

Activities<\/h3>\n

– To what extent was the work of Ehrlich, Domagk, Fleming, Florey and
\nChain reliant upon the work of Pasteur and Koch?<\/p>\n

– What factors led to the development of a ‘magic bullet’?<\/p>\n

– Write an article explaining why Gerhard Domagk was awarded the Nobel
\nPrize in 1939. This should include Domagk\u2019s importance as an individual
\nbut also acknowledge the role of other factors.<\/p>\n

Use the following links to find further information about Domagk:<\/p>\n

Nobelprize.org<\/a>
\n– the Nocel Prize websites biography of Gerhard Domagk.<\/p>\n

Wikipedia<\/a> –
\nbiography of Domagk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Plenary<\/strong><\/p>\n

Play this En Garde gamefrom Winkers
\nWorld<\/a> to test your knowledge of Magic Bullets<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why was Gerhard Domagk awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1939? Learning Outcomes: * To understand why the development of chemical antibiotics was a turning point in the treatment of disease. * To identify and evaluate the relative significance of different factors in contributing to the discovery eg role of the individual, communication within… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3808,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3849","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t